Final Fantasy X Luna's Story
by RainbowExplosions
Summary: Same story, using myown character to add to the plot. Don't worry, she's not perfect. Read for entertainment if you wish, I just ask you give it a chance. More in depth than the game, new twists and all. I don't know what else to put... read&find out.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- I haven't been on in a while, this is something I thought I could post, just to see if anyone would read, maybe give me some reviews. I don't own any of this (except Luna!), and mean no copyright.

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Chapter I- The Forgotten Dreams

Something was…different. Luna's brow furrowed in her sleep as she attempted in vain to locate the source of uneasiness. She stirred slightly and brushed a strand of cerulean hair out of her face. She sighed and let herself sink back into her sleep, focusing her attention on her dream.

_She was a child again, hardly standing above anyones waist, and this time… she was on the boat again. She cautiously stepped out from the cabin and searched around. Men and women stumbled over the decks and shielded their face from the lashing rain. Luna grabbed onto the wall for support and glanced around at the cargo; brown barrels and green packages. Everything seemed to be tied down well, so Luna brought her attention elsewhere. Plenty of men were cursing, while the women prayed. Luna caught sight of a small boy being tended to; it appeared to her that the sickness spread to the boat as well. _

_ The smell of brine and rain was fresh in the air. Luna, groping the slick walls for support and ignoring the smoke of the men, made her way around the ship. Such dreams had never felt so real to her before, and Luna could clearly remember the stealthy, stressful take-off of this ship. Luna knew that they would all die at sea as well._

_ The scenery shifted. Luna stood alone, in the middle of a field, surrounded by a great machina city, with dazzling lights. However, things weren't normal. The usual blue sky was laced scarlet, and the clearing she was in shouldn't exist. Luna took a few looks at the scarce trees, before studying the anomaly in the center of the field._

_ The dome._

_ The dome, with it's black windows, and gold and red supports, was not of this world. Luna stepped closer, unafraid, no longer a child but her true age. The sky behind her lit up, and glancing over her shoulder, Luna knew that her time was short. She hurried towards the gate, knowing that it would be unlocked. The man in red had told her to come here, that it would be her escape. _

_ Luna could hear the bombs getting closer. She tugged open the door and slid herself inside, lithely and without much sound. Dust rose from her feet, but inside was as clean as ever. She could clearly see outside the windows, and the destruction taking place._

_ She found that half of the dome was sealed off. After a slight bit of searching, Luna found another door. She entered it, and to her mild shock, found a room without windows. Along the walls were black seats, with high backs and padding. Inside the middle of the room was a giant wheel, painting gold and drilled into the ground. Luna took her time examining it, her curiosity overriding her sense of urgency._

_ The man had told her what to do, but Luna knew it from her heart. Glancing back at the door, she counted the time before she sensed someone on the other side. One minute. Luna, with grim determination, began to turn the wheel. This was a holy place, and now these filthy beings had disgraced it. _

_ A bright light erupted from the pit in which the wheel lay. Luna threw up her arms to guard her eyes from the light, and all around, she could hear the building whirring, as the structures outside began to spin. She could feel it in her bones, this dream would take her to—_

_ A journey. That was where Luna had been all this time. She glanced around, finding a small office in the middle of a icy, hilly path. Luna's mouth twitched, almost a smile. She often dreamed of bizarre scenery; when she traveled to Luca they had put her inside a room that was painted as if she were at the beach. This same feeling returned to her now. She felt as though she was placed in hospital, with the entire floor themed around an icy plain. _

_ Luna tried to remember where exactly she had come from. All she knew was that she had traveled long and hard, and she had just been at a pool… a pool, in the muddle of the mountains, surrounded by snow covered peaks. Some were farther away, while others were merely meters away from the pool. The dip filled with water was hardly any taller than Luna, and width-wise was maybe three fourths of her height. Still, Luna had been entranced by the color of the water; the purest of aqua blue, and as reflective as a mirror. Luna remembered the symbols that she stood on; a circular maze encased the pool. Stepping over the ridges slightly, Luna had made her way to the blue pool. This place was sacred as well, and Luna had heard the echoes of history bouncing off the moon white walls._

Luna awoke with a start, and instantly grappled with the swiftly fading memories of her dream. It soon became clear that she would not remember all the details; instead, she sighed and relaxed on her bed, hooking one arm under her head and laying the other across her midsection. Judging from the light coming in through her windows, the sun was just creeping over the edge of the horizon, and soon the village would be out and about.

Luna stared at her white ceiling, reflecting on her mood and listening to the sound of the ocean breeze. She had no desire to begin interacting with the people of the village yet, and once again felt a longing to return to… wherever it was she had dreamed about. Though abundant with machina, Luna knew it couldn't be Bevelle, or even Luca for that matter. With a deep breath, Luna pushed the matter out of her mind and closed her eyes. With luck, she would catch a few dozen minutes of a dreamless (and in her opinion more restful) sleep, before starting her work for the day.

Five minutes passed before heavy footsteps rushed towards her door. With an irritated sigh, Luna picked up clothes and began to get dressed, throwing on her usual armored cloak on before answering the door while shrugging on her gloves.

"May I help you?" she asked in a quiet voice. Having lived in the village for over seven years, she had a fair guess of who the people at her door were. As she suspected, the black mage Lulu, the blitzball captain Wakka, and the blue Ronso Kimahri awaited her at her door. Wakka appeared the most disheveled of all of them, with his eyes still bleary from sleep and his hair uncombed.

"You haven't forgotten what today is, have you?" Lulu asked, cool and professional as always.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "I thought that temple rules regulated that only two guardians were to accompany the novice summoner. I don't believe my presence is required."

"Geez, you're always so formal, ya? She wanted to talk to you before she went in." Luna nodded and swept past them, closing the door behind her. The three others followed her, Wakka scratching his head and giving Lulu a questioning glance. Luna pretended not to see, and went to go find the novice summoner.

Yuna was standing outside the temple, wringing her hands nervously. Ignoring that and her pale face, one would think Yuna was rather calm. She did smile as Luna approached, nodding thanks to Kimahri and Wakka, who had volunteered to bring the blue haired warrior to her.

"I… wanted to see you, before I went in," Yuna explained, doing her best to remain neutral. "To… thank you, for everything you've done, and to say good-bye."

Luna nodded, and, noticing the younger girls hand wringing, placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. Just stay steady and don't worry. You have enough resolve to get through this."

"Thank you. Really, I mean it." Yuna took a deep breath. "If… no, when I become a summoner, you'll still be my guardian?"

"Yeah." Yuna smiled, her differently colored eyes shining.

"I will see you back here then, when I'm through."

"Yeah… see you," Luna said quietly, watching Yuna respectfully march through the doors, shadowed by Kimahri and Lulu. Luna snagged Kimahri's fur-covered arm, murmuring, "Keep her safe." before letting him by. The stone doors swung shut behind them, leaving Wakka and Luna alone in the brightening village.

Luna sighed and headed back towards her small hut, pushing her hips forward with her hands to crack her spine. She rolled her neck and wrists, warming up before the days work began. Wakka followed her back, if hesitantly.

"Hey, so I was wondering, are you headin' down to the beach? Because if you are, you should do some exercises with us, ya? If we're going to be guarding Yuna and all-"

Ignoring him, Luna pulled back the flap to her hut and searched for her two weapons. She located them in the far corner, and unsheathed the blades. Two long, curved, broad blades were revealed, dark in colors of rust red and purple. Luna switched the blades so they ran properly down the length of her arms her arms, and strode back out to the village.

"Hey, are you really-?" Luna nodded once, and Wakka fell silent after a moan of, "I don't believe it." Luna was used to these remarks, especially from him. Luna often took it upon herself to ensure that patrol on the island of Besaid was effective. More days than not, Luna would take her blades out and spend the entire day combing over the island, slaying fiends and making sure none strayed too close to the village. Fiends rarely came close, due to the magic in the temples, but Luna always took necessary precautions.

Luna ducked under Wakka's muscled arm and glanced back over her shoulder. "I'll see you later, probably at the beach. Unless you care to join me?"

Wakka debated for a few moments, and then grinned, shaking his hands. "I gotta get the team together first, ya? Maybe tomorrow." He ran off in the direction of the other huts, doubtless to wake his fellow teammates. Luna followed at a brisk walk, heading out of the village. She didn't turn back to see the temple, but she did think about Yuna, Lulu, and Kimahri down in the bowels of the temple.

_Like daughter like father,_ Luna thought to herself, striding solitary down the familiar dirt roads. _I suppose if Wakka had gone down instead of Lulu, it almost could have been the same…

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It was in the late afternoon when Luna began considering her dreams again. She walked along the docks, a couple miles from the village. The ocean breeze swept her blue hair from behind, earning a small sigh from the guardian. Often times, when she wasn't patrolling the island or meditating in the temple or waterfalls, Luna would come to the sea and watch the blitzers practice, or listen to the seagulls. For all the terrors that the sea held, Luna felt comforted by it and more often that not, fell asleep to the sound of the waves.

Today was no different; over the wind and the rise and fall of the sea, Luna could hear Wakka's distinct yelling, and the groans and exclamations of the other players. By turning her head she would see some elderly couple living in a little shack. By tipping forward just a couple more inches, Luna would be in the ocean.

The ocean… Luna frowned, and thought back to her dreams. Yes, there had been an ocean. She was on that ship… there had been a storm, and great rolling black waves… what was causing it? Luna often dreamt of strange things, and the priests at the temple told her they were signs of a vivid imagination, premonitions, or memories of a previous life.

_What nonsense,_ Luna used to think. _This world is full of magic, but no one receives lives one after another. If that were true, why would we mourn the dead?_

She often ignored all together the ideas of premonitions, at least out to the public. In her head, Luna worked over the theory from all angles, and while admittedly it was _possible_, she didn't think it was very probable.

"Hey, Luna!" Datto ran up to her, sweaty and waving his arms. Luna hopped to her feet in an instant, her senses searching for trouble. Sure enough, Datto seemed trouble. "Luna, we have… this _huge_ monster… cap'in already went to check it out, but… we need backup."

"Where?" was all Luna asked, listening to the directions between gasps of air. As soon as she figured it out, Luna was running, her long legs stretching over the distance. Her swords came loose from her back. Catching them expertly in her arms took hardly any time from Luna's steadily gaining pace.

Rounding a corner, the first thing she saw was a flurry of feathers before something large and tan shoved her to the ground. Growling, she muscled her way out from under Wakka, succeeding in detaching himself from her within seconds. Gasping from the run and impact, she whirled to face her opponent.

A giant Garuda faced her, its beak clocking angrily, beady eyes watching her every movement. Luna swore lowly, glaring at the beast from under her bangs. Keeping a close eye on its sweaving head was the only warning against an attack. Sure enough, it's long head snapped towards her. Luna nimbly leapt to the side before slashing at it's neck.

She hit, but the blade glanced off the side, leaving very minor damage. Luna hopped back to a safer distance, this time accompanied by Wakka.

"Glad you could make it," he called. Luna nodded and responded, "You'll be my back up?"

"I gotcha covered." Luna steeled herself a moment before squaring off against the giant creature. The other fiends on this island were hardly formidable, at least to Luna, Wakka, and Lulu. But this was the single species of monsters that Luna didn't dare face on her own.

Luna lunged, using both of her blades to chop down on the creature's neck. Though it swerved away, awkwardly maneuvering on the flat ground, Luna kept up her ferocious assault, mostly using a single blade at a time, or using them synchronously. She struck the beast a few times, but her main goal was on keeping it bewildered.

Something whistled past her ear, and Luna saw with satisfaction that the Garuda swayed, stunned. Wakka cheered behind her, and Luna saw his bliztball soar back to him. Wasting no time, Luna landed a few precise blows on the creature before it snarled and snapped back.

Wakka called out in alarm; Luna stumbled back, cradling her wounded shoulder. From her awkward sitting position, both legs bent at the knee, making a "W" in front of her, the Garuda positively towered over her.

"Good night!" Luna saw Wakka's blitzball once again ram into the side of the Garuda's face, with perfect accuracy. She shielded her face against the blinding light, knowing full well what it would do if she didn't. When the light faded, and Luna removed her arm, she saw the massive bird stumbling, shaking it's shaggy head. Wakka appeared next to Luna.

"Are you alright?"

Luna winced and flexed her wounded arm, judging the damage down. "If nothing else, I can use my left arm," she muttered. _Damn. Where's Yuna or Lulu when you need them?_

"Well then let's finish this thing!"

Luna tested her arm for just a moment, before picking up her dropped blade and rushing forward. The blinded beast heard her heavy footfalls, and lowered its head to strike with its heavy jaws. Luna jumped, kicking up a cloud of dust where her feet had been. Swinging her bladed arm down with all her might, Luna managed to strike the foul fiend directly overhead while Wakka took a well-aimed shot right between the eyes. With a large jerk and horrible, rendering cry, the beast collapsed, swiftly decomposing into dozens of swarming pyreflies.

Luna sucked in her breath, watching the glowing spirits mass and weave through the air. Luna turned, finding herself surrounded. The eerie whistle, humming of these creatures made her uneasy, but she held her ground. All fiends collapsed into pyreflies once they were destroyed, but Luna had rarely been this close to so many. The sound they sang made her think of the chanting in the temple, and the sound of the aqua pool in her dreams.

Eventually, all the pyreflies flew high, and away. Luna was left with her torn shoulder, dirt smeared all over her clothes, and a sense of emptiness inside her.

"Hey, Luna, are you alright?" By the sounds of it, the rest of the blitzball team had shown up. Luna hardly heard Wakka approach; her ears were still ringing with the sound of the pyreflies. "Luna… are you… shaking?"

Luna started, and looked down at her hands. It was only then that Luna realized that she was trembling all over, all the way down to her ankles. Luna cast off the feeling by shaking her head, and nodding to Wakka. "Yeah… I'm alright."

"You should get that looked at, ya?" he said, motioning towards her shoulder. "Here, I'll you back to the village…"

Luna nodded once, and made her way along the path, but not before strapping both her blades along her back again. Wakka gave some orders to his team, and with enthusiasm they went back to the shoreline to practice. Wakka and Luna walked on in silence.

They just passed the old ruins next to the waterfall when Wakka spoke up, albeit hesitantly. "Uh, so Luna, after tomorrow, we might not be back here for a while." Luna, her curiosity piped, said nothing, but gave him a questioning look. Wakka scratched his head. "Well, we've all been living here for as long as we can remember; you, Lulu, and I. And… life's gonna change, you know?"

"Are you trying to say something, or are you just relieving some emotions?" Luna asked, not quite rudely but with a quiet voice. "We all knew what was going to happen. If you're having second thoughts—"

"No, it's not like that. I just… wanted to know what you were feeling about all this. I can never really understand what's going on inside that head of yours."

"Does it matter? It's Yuna that you should be worrying about, not me."

"It's not… it's not worrying. I just thought, maybe it'd be good to ask. You never seem to open up to anyone. I figure it'd be good for you, ya?"

"It's a nice thought, but not necessarily practical. Whether I'm feeling upset, or sad, or angry, it's not as if it matters. Those feelings won't change Yuna's mind, or make the pilgrimage easier."

They arrived at the village gate, where Wakka said he would leave her, so he could get back to his team. "Listen, Luna… it's good to know that you can take care of yourself, but I feel like it's not healthy, the way you live. I know Yuna would want you to open up more. Just… talk more, ya? You've lived here for over nine years straight, but I still feel like you never made friends."

Luna considered this for a moment, before deciding to go easy on him. "If I had something worth complaining about I would," she answered, half honestly. "We live pretty quiet lives. There's never much to talk about."

"Well, just keep it in the back of your head, ya?"

"Yeah… see ya," she replied distantly as he ran off, back to the beach. She was always impressed with Wakka's endurance, him able to run miles down to the beach and back in this heat. Luna was strong, but she couldn't keep up with that.

Luna reflected a moment on what he said, before shaking her head and trotting towards the village inn and clinic. Wakka did speak some truth; she wasn't particularly close with many people in this village.

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_It's not out of dislike, or contempt,_ Luna justified as the doctor bandaged up her shoulder carefully. _I just… don't see the point. Yuna's made up her mind. As long as she keeps that, nothing I say or do matters… except protecting her._

Luna waited patiently while the kind doctor told her to take it easy on that arm, keep it limber, and most important of all, to keep it clean. Luna thanked him quietly and ducked out of the doorway, sighing when the hilts of her swords bumped against the frame. Luna halted in the center of town, realizing that without her right arm, there was scarce little she could do, aside from hunting down weaker fiends. That too was risky. Without fiends to fight, or an arm to train with, Luna contented herself with picking up an old book and sitting up by the waterfall, one of her favorite places. By sitting on a dry ledge a couple meters away from the fall, Luna could look to her left and see the flowing water, the right and see the expanse of tropical forest. Before her lay the sea and further jungle.

This was a spot on the island more private than others, though it could be found with moderate searching. Luna leaned back against the mossy cliff and cracked apart the crinkled pages of this old book. The golden letters titled the book as _Long Unspoken Sea Rhymes and Tales._ Humming the tunes as she read along, Luna read her heart away until there was no light left in the sky.

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**A/N- Kinda short first chapter, but I'm sick of writing prologue's to everything. Sorry is the writing sounded (sounded? READ) a bit choppy; I'm writing this as I'm watching the game on youtube. I feel like all the breaks would be breaks from cutscenes in the game. Imagine Luna fighting monsters or walking around if you want. **

**Uh, I ranted, sorry. I'll probably post more up. I've always thought Final Fantasy X had potential to be perfect, but it never followed through. So I'm making it perfect for me.**

**Let me know what you think of Luna. I try hard to make my character's realistic, and not mary-sues. Feedback is great.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/U- Alright, now that I'm getting into the actual game, I'm not going to follow the dialogue word-for-word. It's much more trouble than I think it's worth. The content will still be same… just not playing through the whole game for this. Okays?**

Chapter II- Far and Leaving

Luna woke up the next morning feeling uneasy. None of her dreams could be remembered, and Luna honestly wasn't sure if she had any. She fidgeted the entire time she dressed, and was only reminded of her injured shoulder when it groaned in protest to her slipping her armored cloak on. Though she tolerated it, today she couldn't train.

As soon as she stepped outside, Luna knew what was making her so uneasy. The temple doors were still wide open, and Luna hadn't seen Kimahri, Lulu, or Yuna come out yesterday. Frowning, Luna rolled her injured shoulder as she strode up to the temple, a pinch of anxiety squirming in her gut, though she never let it show to her face.

Luna crossed the threshold, into the sacred chamber, feeling almost guilty as she did so, as she felt every time she walked in. Several villagers were already inside, knelt in front of the graves of their respected loved ones. Incense and candles burned in the corners and in rows along the outer rims, where priests attended to the flowers and statues. Scribes, priests, civilians, and tourists all found this the highlight of Besaid.

As she always did, Luna paused to gaze up at the statue of the most recent High Summoner. Lord Braska looked right back down at her, his gentle gaze lost in the crude sculpting of stone. Luna crossed the room reverently, and placed a hand on the base of the statue. Although ten years had come and gone, Luna still felt an ache when she saw his monument. _Not a day goes by when I don't miss you… Yuna does too._

Some people passed her, but Luna didn't notice them fully. The sound of the fayth's singing was entrancing to hear, and Luna found it soothing against the feeling of loss she received when she saw Lord Braska. The fayth's singing was more humane than the siren's from the pyreflies, though Luna didn't know why.

"Lady Luna?" Quickly removing her hand, Luna turned to face the priest. "Is everything ok?"

"Oh… yes… how is Yuna?"

" We don't know… they haven't returned yet from the Cloister of Trials. As rules regulate, no one else is allowed down there, not even you or Wakka. Be patient. I'm sure the hand of Yevon is watching over young Yuna." The priest made the sign of prayer before taking his leave. Luna didn't make the sign back, but instead only lowered her head out of respect. While she kept it under wraps, Luna was never particularly faithful about Yevon or their teachings, instead preferring universal language and greetings.

The news of Yuna's delay troubled Luna, but she found no use in staying inside the temple. Giving Braska's statue one last look, she silently walked out of the building and back into the fresh, open air. With gratitude she breathed in the salty scent, and fingering her wounded shoulder, racked her brain for things to do. Training was out of the option, as was reading (_like I need anything else to think about,_ Luna thought wryly) and meditating. Luna was ready to head back inside the temple when a familiar sound caught her ear; the sound of some of the guys getting ready to go play blitzball down by the beach.

Luna, remembering Wakka's advice from yesterday, jogged down the road after them.

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For the rest of the day, Luna stayed at the beach, throwing a blitzball around with her good arm, and slowly stretching her injury at the same time. She never jumped into the water like the rest of them, but instead threw balls from the shore for them to catch.

Luna made the most of her day on the waterfront, holding at bay the rising feeling of anticipation she felt. Yuna never emerged from the Cloister, and no one went down to look for her. Luna made up her mind that if nightfall came, and Yuna wasn't back, she would go down herself. Luna knew the Cloister of Trials as easily as she knew her own name. It would be easy to sneak down there and figure out what was going on.

It was midday on the beach when her shoulder began to ache again. Luna paid it no heed at first, but quickly everyone realized that she couldn't be by the beach anymore. The whole team swarmed her, convincing her to go lay down.

"You just strained it too much, ya?" Wakka had told her, pushing her back towards the village road. "Go lie down, maybe soak it in some water, and you'll be alright."

Hours later, Luna had finished washing her shoulder gently, and had just carefully shrugged on her cloak again when someone knocked on the wooden frame of her doorway. All hopes for a rest gone, Luna brushed some hair out of her face and flicked open the cloth over the opening. Standing in the doorway, looking as confused as he had ever been, was Wakka.

"Luna, c'mere, you've gotta hear this!" he gasped. Luna raised an eyebrow, half wondering whether this was a serious matter or not. He gave her a pleading look though, so Luna walked out, following him at a cool walking pace, slightly suspicious.

They arrived at his tent in roughly thirty seconds, where Wakka stopped, and placing his hands on his hips, explained, "Okay, you know how you left us a couple hours ago, to go take care of your injury, right? Well," he said, after seeing her nod, "the boys and I were still playing blitzball, when suddenly Letty sees someone in the water. We start calling out to him, and he swims over… after doing this amazing blitz move!

"He says… he says his name is Tidus, and that he's from Zanarkand."

Luna gave Wakka a disbelieving look, but he motioned to the inside of his tent, holding a finger to his lip. Luna took a few steps inside, and noticed, as Wakka said, a boy sleeping on the low bed. Luna observed his blonde hair, and startling out-of-place clothing for a few moments, before backing out slowly, sending Wakka a quizzical look.

"He's from… Zanarkand?" Everyone knew about Zanarkand. Zanarkand was the great machina city that had been destroyed one thousand years ago in the war between Bevelle, and Zanarkand itself. Luna had been surprised to learn that this wasn't common knowledge. Everyone knew of Zanarkand's destruction though; it was now a holy place.

"He said he came close to Sin, ya? We think, maybe he got poisoned? With Sin's toxin and all, you know?"

Luna never had faith in that particular theory, for reasons she wouldn't explain to anyone. The people at the church already thought her dreams were bizarre. She didn't want to admit that she had dreams about Sin as well. Luna appeared to look thoughtful as she considered that theory, and then asked, "What did you say his name was?"

"He said it was Tidus. Listen, one of the priests from the temple just came to visit too. Yuna's been in that chamber for four days now. Everyone's getting worried."

_Then why don't you go in and check it out?_ was what Luna wanted to ask. But she held her tongue, knowing that it was against the rules; rules that Wakka would sacrifice an eyebrow for. She had broken many rules in her childhood, but she never went into the chamber while someone else was there. Instead, Luna nodded and said, "Lulu or Kimahri would leave if something went wrong. You should bring this boy to the temple."

Wakka assured her that was what he planned to do, and seeing Luna heading to the stone building, accompanied her. Luna didn't protest. Once again she entered the holy rooms, and found the pillar of Braska standing before her. Luna averted her eyes and instead sought out the head of this temple. She found him in one of the back rooms, reading to the village children out of a book of prayers.

Luna loomed in the doorway, Wakka close behind her. The man didn't pause in his reading, and keeping his pace steady, he took another minute to finish the prayer and bid the children good day. Laughing gleefully, they all said good-bye and chased each other out of the room, filling the temple with their joy. The priest took his time returning the book to its rightful place, but he began speaking while his back was turned.

"Have you come here to ask about Yuna? Or is it about the boy that showed up in the sea?" he asked them, good-naturedly. Wakka engaged him in conversation, leaving Luna to do the listening. Luna didn't mind; in fact, she was happy Wakka did the talking.

"He didn't even know who Lord Braska was?" Wakka exclaimed. "What next, ya? He doesn't know they prayer, he doesn't know what the Crusader's are, he doesn't know High Summoner Braska—"

"He's entering the temple as you speak," Luna said quietly, glancing over her shoulder. Wakka rushed out to meet him, with the priest following close behind. Luna hung back, watching him through her bangs. He seemed to be a few years younger than herself, perhaps around Yuna's age? Luna noted his odd appearance; his clothes were definitely not that of an island-dweller. Yet… Luna couldn't see anyone from Luca or Bevelle wearing them either. Luna caught herself thinking those clothes were probably what the Zanarkian's wore before she realized how impossible that was.

And yet… he did bear a striking resemblance to several people Luna knew. One was Chappu, Wakka's late brother. Luna sighed just thinking about him. Suddenly a memory triggered. Luna glanced more sharply at the boy, Tidus. He looked so familiar to someone she knew… and that symbol on his pants…

What were they saying? Luna saw Tidus waving his arms around, before he suddenly began charging up the stairs. Luna ran up to Wakka just in time to hear him say, "Like I care!" before barging through the stone doors. Wakka's jaw dropped.

"…well he's a little ray of sunshine," Luna dryly remarked, drawing level with them. "Shall I bring him back?"

"No, he's my responsibility, I'll go get him." Wakka sounded resigned as he headed up the stairs. "I'll give Lulu and Kimahri your regards, ya?"

Running a gloved hang through her blue hair was all Luna could do while she paced around the room, having received a stern look from the priest. Luna could practically hear the ticking of a clock… one minute… two… five… ten…

Shaking her head, Luna dropped her hand away and fiddled the ring resting on her gloved left hand. Luna kept this ring out of sight to avoid uncomfortable questions; she had found this ring years ago, down past the Cloister of Trials. She never dared enter the Chamber of the Fayth, but the waiting room beyond it had always been available to her. During one of her many ventures down there, this ring had presented itself, and being the eleven year old that she was, had taken it. She never considered giving it back.

Luna glanced longingly towards the door leading into the Trials. She knew she should be down there. Yuna's journey was starting in there, and just because of some half-guided rule, she was supposed to wait? She realized she was at the foot of Braska's statue again. When she saw his sad eyes staring down at her from above, her mind made itself up. Luna glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to stop her. Satisfied that there wasn't, Luna crossed the room and began her swift ascent.

"Luna! What are you doing?" called out the villagers. Luna merely waved at them from behind, not turning around. She pushed the door with her whole body, saving her shoulder the pain of muscling through. After she slipped past the small opening, she pushed the door back, shutting off the temple light. Allowing her eyes to adjust, Luna found the glow of the spheres in the walls. Once down here, that was all one needed.

Knowing she didn't have much time, Luna let her muscle memory take over. With ease she slipped the spheres into their rightful slots, and slid the pedestals over to make new space for her to walk by. Occasionally she found a sphere already in the correct slot, and realized that she was catching up with Tidus and Wakka.

_It wouldn't be right for me to not be there,_ Luna acknowledged, hopping on the lift that would carry her to the bottom floor. _If I was present for Braska, surely I must be there when my own summoner receives…_

Welcome wasn't the word Luna would describe her entrance. Wakka and Tidus turned to face the newcomer, with Wakka giving her tight-lipped smile. Luna nodded and looked beyond them, to where Lulu and Kimahri waited dutifully by the staircase. Lulu glowered at Luna, perhaps expecting her sour look to turn the younger girl away. Luna raised an eyebrow and turned to meet Kimahri's stare. As always, he was hard to read, but gave Luna a single nod before looking back up towards the door.

To her surprise, and relief, moments after Luna finished her survey, the opposite door slowly began to rise. The sheens at the bottom lifted, and emerging from the bright chamber, stood Yuna, looking exhausted and disheveled, but otherwise unharmed.

They all started when she stumbled and fell; Luna noted that Tidus in particular took several steps forward before Kimahri caught the brown haired girl. Luna realized she was holding her breath, and slowly let it out. The entire chamber fell silent.

Yuna carefully stood on her own, With Kimahri ready in case she fell again. Yuna thanked him with a smile, and began to fix her hair while turning to face her audience. Luna saw awe and joy in her face as Yuna beheld all of her guardian's. Then, hardly above a whisper, Yuna exclaimed to them all, "I did it! I've become a Summoner!"

* * *

Hours later, far into the night, Luna finally sunk down onto her bed with a heaving sigh. Her eyes were sore from all the smoke from the fires, and her ears ached slightly from the yells of the blitzer's. Besaid had thrown a celebration in honor of Yuna's achievement. All the children got to stay up late; most of them swarming around Yuna. Luna had watched most of the party from her place by a lonesome fire, with Kimahri. All the preparations were made for tomorrow. The blitzers, guardians, Yuna, Tidus, and the Crusader's were all departing together on the same ship.

Luna didn't have much to pack. Her weapons, clothes, and her book were the only things she cared to bring. Luna took a lasting look around her cottage. Luna often looked forward to leaving Besaid, to travel the world, as Braska and his guardian's did before them. Luna often went to Luca, to watch Wakka play blitzball. This would be the first time they wouldn't be retuning to Besaid, though. Luna silently thanked the village.

_Yeah, I'll miss it,_ she told herself, listening to the melody of the sea. _I used my time here well, training and studying. This isn't even as much a home to me as it is for Yuna and Wakka either. Still, there's no turning back, unless something bad happens. _

Luna turned her thoughts back to Yuna's Aeon. Valefor. Luna felt much safer, knowing that Yuna could summon this creature if she was ever in trouble. Luna always knew what Valefor looked like, having seen other summoner's call upon it. Still, to see Yuna summon it, her very own Aeon, brought a feeling of pride in Luna.

When Luna finally slept, she had the same dreams as before; the night on the ship, the field with the dome, and the pool with it's snowy mountains. Added to this was a city, with a deadly orange sky, the color of a plant when it withered away. In this city were Yuna, her four guardians, and Tidus. This city would quickly be frowned upon by Yevon; machina was everywhere, and the people had no qualms about using it. Wakka couldn't argue with the people though, tell them it was wrong. No one in that entire city could see the folk from Spira. It gave Luna the chills, thinking about those wide eyes and smiling faces, staring straight past them. In that dying city, she was as good as a ghost.

* * *

Luna awoke feeling heavy. She allowed herself to trudge around her tent, gathering a small bag in which to place her book and some items, but once she was out in the open, she lightened her step and put on her mask of independence and indifference. All the guardians wore some kind of expression, a shield to keep people believing in them. Wakka's and Yuna's were usually full of smiles and laughter. Lulu and Luna kept their faces serious, observant, and hid their true thoughts inside. Only Kimahri was able to show what he felt; an undying loyalty towards Yuna, and a brick-wall demeanor to anyone else who dared try to talk to him.

_Speaking of which, where is Kimahri?_ Luna thought, turning all around. Lulu and Wakka were waiting by the temple, no doubt for Yuna. Luna made it to them, when suddenly someone else emerged from the inn. _Oh right… I forgot about him._

"Hey, sleepyhead, come over here!" Wakka called. Tidus waved and jogged over to meet them, looking wide awake and ready to go. Luna still struggled with the sense of familiarity about him. she had mentioned it off-hand to Lulu last night, when she had gotten a chance alone with her. Lulu and Wakka shared her sentiments; he looked very much like Chappu. Judging from what Wakka said, and the sword he was holding, their fighting styles were much the same as well. Lulu confirmed that later after watching him.

"We're just waiting for Yuna now, ya?" Wakka was saying. "Anyways, I want you to have this," he said, holding out the blue-sheened sword. "It belonged to my brother, Chappu. He never used it though…" Luna saw Lulu turn their way, but she said nothing. "So take care of it, ya? Use it well!" Tidus said his thanks, and tried a few practice swings. Luna thought to herself that he did seem to have some fighting backyard, if only enough to know the basics.

"Hey, where's Yuna?" Tidus asked. "I mean, if we're all taking the same boat, do we have to wait right here?"

Wakka nodded towards the temple. "Yuna only came here ten years ago, when the last Calm started. We all grew up like brothers and sisters, but she had her heart set on becoming a summoner, like her father. She asked us to be her guardians."

"It's our journey," Lulu added. "We should all leave together." As she spoke, Yuna came out of the temple, towing behind her a large suitcase. Lulu, seeing the burden, called out, "You know, you don't really need all that luggage!"

"Oh, I… I know," Yuna called back. "It's not mine! I thought… they're gifts for the temples we're going too—"

"This isn't a vacation Yuna," Wakka scolded kindly. "You know that."

"I… know," Yuna said, and hesitantly left the suitcase behind her. She smiled at the all when she approached the group, eyeing Tidus's new sword. "Well, should we get going then?"

"Is everyone through saying goodbye?" Wakka asked. "Yuna? Lulu? Luna?"

"Sir Luzzu and Gatta have already left," Yuna told them. "I think we're going tio be the last ones."

"Then lets go already!" Tidus exclaimed, and with nods they all set off. Luna gave Yuna a nod and clap on the shoulder as she passed, before falling back to the rear. She only trusted herself to keep an eye to make sure nothing struck from behind.

They ran into several fiends on the road. Luna was thankful to learn that everyone was quite capable of defending himself or herself, even the new kid. Her shoulder still protested when she used it too much, so Luna stood back and let the others fight. She felt satisfaction when Yuna used Valefor to defeat another Garuda.

Luna did have to stop for a bit, when her shoulder began to burn with pain. Yuna opted to stay with her, using her magic to speed along the healing process. Wakka and Lulu took the time to rest as well, but Tidus wanted to explore around a bit more.

"You should've come to see me last night!" Yuna reprimanded, finishing her spell. "You'll be fine now, since you heal so fast, but if you didn't tell me it would've gotten worse." Lulu and Wakka hid their smiles behind hands, though Luna saw it anyways. Yuna smiled too. It was rare when this happened to Luna.

"Yeah, well, I figured it would make a nice scar," Luna said, her hard eyes softening for once. She decided against her usual blunt response. Yuna needed a bit of humoring right now, especially after praying at the memorial. Lulu hadn't, but even Tidus and Luna bowed their heads in respect. Yuna had been saying good-bye.

Yuna smiled again and let Luna stand up. She stretched her shoulder, rolling it around in its socket, enjoying the loose feeling. She picked up her right blade and used precise, practiced slashes to warm up. She felt back to her normal self now.

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" Wakka asked suddenly. The two girls frowned and paused, listening intently. Then it came again; a yelp of surprise and a beast-like yowl. Yuna's face went white. "Hey, was that…?"

"Kimahri." Luna and Yuna ran up ahead, with Wakka and Lulu close behind. They rounded the corner just in time to see Kimahri further down the trail, leaving Tidus bewildered and battle worn. He put his sword away and gave himself the time to rest.

"What's his problem?" he muttered once they were close enough.

"Kimahri's learned the fiends way of fighting," Lulu explained to him, crossing her arms.

"That's not what I meant."

Yuna started laughing, understanding his frustration. "It's alright. Even I don't know why Kimahri does the things he does. I don't think anyone really understands him."

"And you're okay with that?" he asked her incredulously.

"I've known Kimahri since I was seven," she explained, still smiling. "I know he means well. Besides, he doesn't talk much anyways."

_If that means attacking me,_ Tidus thought to himself, but didn't speak aloud. Luna thought the same, wondering what he had done to provoke the Ronso. Yuna said brightly, "Okay, let's keep going!" but Luna kept her attention on Tidus. _We left him alone for five minutes and he found a way to fight with Kimahri,_ she mused. _He ignores the temple rules, says he from Zanarkand… Zanarkand… what am I missing?_

Kimahri had waited for them, and silently took his place next to Luna. He didn't seem inclined to talk, so Luna left him alone and together they made sure nothing back attacked them. The walk took only another dozen minutes, until they reached the beach.

There awaited a good number of people, all intent on seeing Yuna off. Of course, they wished the guardian's luck as well, but it was Yuna that they cared the most for, and would miss the most. Yuna gave smiles and thankful words to all of them, until it made Luna uncomfortable. She busied herself on toying with her ring, feeling the smoothly cut garnet warm up under her hands heat. She nodded respectfully to the elders, and gave the children a shrug and pat on the head.

Wakka kept close to Tidus, explaining things to him and keeping an eye on him. Luna pivoted, taking one last look at the island she had lived on for ten years. She bade it farewell inside her head. When she straightened herself, she saw Yuna taking the same lasting look. Catching Luna's eyes, she smiled and boarded the ship with confidence.

Kimahri waited for Luna before he went on. Yuna immediately leaned over the railing, waving good-bye to everyone. Most children were crying at this point, and many of the adults as well. Luna knew that Yuna's duty and happiness outweighed the sorrow, but she still wondered how much sadness Yuna kept inside.

_She's good at what she does. Serving others with exuberance,_ Lulu had once said about her. Luna agreed completely. Feeling out of place, knowing that this ship was perfectly safe, Luna headed to the starboard, and let herself be taken away by the endless ocean.

* * *

**A/U- Again, sorry for the choppiness of the writing. Hopefully you all have played the game enough to be used to it. I'm going to try to make these chapters a bit longer, though, so I can break chapters at more convenient times in the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews I've gotten! I appreciate them.

* * *

**

Chapter III- A Kilika Sunset

The boat rocked back and forth gently, swaying with the wind and full of excited passengers. Luna listened to the chatter of the people onboard; the blitzers were by far the loudest, but there were other people from close-by islands who gossiped happily in corners. Deciding to stretch her legs, Luna closed her book shut, tucked it inside her bag, and headed down the stairs and out onto the deck.

Her party was all up at the front, talking to one another, and keeping their eyes on the horizon. Luna was half-tempted to join them, but ultimately made her way to the cabins below. The recent dreams about the boat in the storm stirred in her memory, but Luna contented herself with the fact that this boat looked little like the one from her dream. Regardless, the tight walls and numerous persons made Luna more than a little eager to return to the open deck.

But Luna knew these boats were powered by chocobo's, and she was determined to find one. Sliding past the bundles of people, Luna painstakingly made her way to the Power Room, praying that for the most part, it would be free of anything but chocobos.

The room stank of chocobo's, and the gyshal greens they ate, but Luna found it more welcoming than the hallways. So as not to frighten them, Luna stepped slowly, eyeing the creatures with pity for their captivity. Everyone found chocobo's to be useful assists in places like these; Luna knew without them they would rely on machina, which was out of the question for everyone's safety. Luna sidled up to the beast, checking for signs of malnourishment. The feather's wear dry and well groomed, the beak sharp and shining, and best of all, the eyes of the bird were bright and full of curiosity.

"Yeah, I thought you'd be alright," Luna murmured to it, scratching it on the shoulder with ease despite the wheel it was one. "You're too valuable to be hurt."

Luna left shortly after, knowing that she shouldn't be away from Yuna for too long. Before she could escape up the stairs, though, a large man crossed her path and _stayed _there. Luna gave him a mistrustful look and twitched one of her hands out to the side, a sure sign to _move._

"Ah, just a moment lass," the man ordered her. Luna stiffened and glared at him. "No need for that sour look! My name is O'aka—"

_How pleasant for you._

"—and I'm the heir to a family of merchants," he declared. "Listen now, would ya? I just met a young man, very kind, who lent me some money to start up me business, and—"

Luna slipped a single shoulder past him, and the rest soon followed. Irritation swelled inside her as she stalked up the wooden steps and emerged to the back of the boat. Was that how she appeared to others? Luna angrily decided no, that man was just desperate enough to stop anyone. Merchant? Donations? O'aka…?

Luna paused, a thought occurring to her. Everyone needed money to start something. She couldn't blame him for that. If what he said was true… and he was a merchant… _they're useful,_ Luna realized. _It wouldn't hurt to have one who owes us a favor. I feel as if we'll be bumping into each other often…_ No one else from her team would either. Well, Yuna _might_ want to lend him some, but Lulu and Wakka would tell her no. That meant… Luna reversed her course.

"500 gil," she said abruptly, fishing it out of her pockets, O'aka's eyes widened. "Just don't bother the lady summoner, she's busy."

"Of course not lass," he promised, taking the money. "I'll be sure to remember this. An O'aka always repays those who helped him in a time of need."

_See to it that you do,_ Luna told him silently, once more heading up to the open air. _I don't want to have wasted my money for nothing._ Luna moved around the side of the ship, finding her team in almost the exact same spots. Except now the crowd around Yuna thinned, which allowed Yuna to approach her blue haired friend.

"I guess I should have expected it, being my father's daughter and all, but the attention surprised me," Yuna admitted sheepishly, playing with the wrap in her hair.

"You're a new summoner on top of that," Luna reminded, gauging the younger girls health. "You should get used to the popularity while you can, so you won't mess up in future scenarios."

"I know. But once we get to Luca, I'm sure everyone's attention will be on the game, not me."

"Don't be so sure," advised Luna, leaning against the railing. "Even if you weren't a summoner, or Lord Braska's daughter, you'd still be drawing attention."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Luna was glad Yuna wasn't taking her very seriously. As serious and eager to please as she was, Yuna still found ways to appreciate jokes and play along. Luna always told her that someone without a sense of humor was a lost cause. _"I'm funny, people just don't realize it," she assured the younger Yuna. This was back when they were in their preteens, and when Chappu was still around. "Just don't forget to tease people sometimes. It builds character."_

Luna shrugged and changed the topic. "Have you talked to the new boy yet?"

"Tidus? Yes… we've talked a bit," she answered, looking to the floor of the boat. "He… he says he's from Zanarkand."

"Do you believe him?" Yuna nodded quickly, her hair flying out. "Why?"

"Why…? Luna, I thought you'd be the first one to know." Upon seeing Luna's questioning look, Yuna looked dismayed. "He says he's from Zanarkand. So did Sir Jecht, my fathers guardian." She waited expectantly for Luna to remember.

The memories all came back. _How could I not have known?_ Luna demanded of herself, feeling her eyes widen in shock. _They look alike… that symbol… I was reminded of Braska every day I went into that temple, how could I have forgotten about Jecht?_

"Are they related?" she wanted to know. "Does he even know who he is?"

"I want to find out," Yuna replied. "But I also don't want to push him. He… he's been through a lot in a short amount of time. I don't want to disturb him," she added, looking quite hesitant now. "Maybe when we reach Kilika."

Luna watched her walk off back to the boy of the boat, her face drawn as she worried about this new dilemma. Luna had thinking of her own to do. She climbed the stairs to the second story of the boat, preferring to sit while she thought. Did that loudmouth kid truly have a relation to Jetch?

_Ten years ago, a strange drunk man appeared in Bevelle,_ she mused. _Everyone thought he was insane, but Lord Braska insisted on talking to him. Next thing everyone knew, that man was Braska's guardian! Jetcht was his name. Yuna told me he would tell her stories of Zanarkand all the time… he told me too. Why did I forget? After all these years, I couldn't remember what he told me? No… I only remembered Lord Braska._

A flash of yellow caught Luna's eye; as out of place as his clothes were, they did make Tidus easy to find in a place like this. He casual approached Yuna and leaned on the rope railing next, evidently talking to her. Thinking it would be well worth it if the rope snapped on him, Luna tried to perceive their conversation. Both were laughing now, a good sign if Yuna intended to ask.

Luna's interest grew as their conversation continued. Yuna wasn't treating him like the others. At first Luna had merely meant other boys who had shown interest in her, but she quickly discarded that. Yuna talked to him with much more physical confidence than she did with any of her guardians. Luna silently hoped that this wouldn't lead to trouble.

She froze for a moment, before looking out at the ocean. All seemed calm on the surface, yet the guardian felt that something was… wrong. A moment later, the feeling passed and Luna sat back down gingerly. _That's odd, for a moment, it felt like…  
_A chorus of screams erupted from below. Luna gasped and clasped her hands over her eyes, unable to distinguish between the screams of people or the pyreflies. The boat lurched violently, sending her flying into the wood and rope railings. Luna yanked a splinter out of her arm and glanced down.

The sea was swelling to un-proportional sizes, with giant waves crashing down upon the ship. Spray hit Luna's face as she dragged herself to her feet on the slippery wood. Once able to move, she immediately turned to find Yuna amongst the chaos.

"Yuna!" she shouted in alarm, but her fears were soon calmed. Though Tidus might have let go of her hand, Kimahri was close enough to catch the summoner before she fell into the sea. Wasting no time, Luna vaulted the railing recklessly and landed on three of her four limbs, using her hand to steady her. With her well-attuned sea legs, Luna scrambled to group with the rest of the team.

A giant fin burst from the surface, sending more salt water upon their heads. No one paid attention to that; they stared in horror at the thick skin, and then one man yelled their fears.

"Sin!"

The fin swept past them with ease, and following it, two men hurtled themselves at the harpoon launcher at the bow. One pushed Yuna out of the way in his haste to set it up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Luna heard Wakka demand. She kept close to Yuna and Tidus, ready to spot them if Kimahri failed. "If you stick a harpoon in that thing, we'll all be dragged under!"

"You don't understand!" the furthest one replied angrily. "That thing is heading straight for Kilika. We have to stop it!"

"Our families are there," said the one next to Yuna, his voice pleading. Yuna's face at once became set. "Please… forgive us." Yuna nodded once, and that was the word. With a mighty cry, both the men set loose the harpoons. They flew over the rolling sea, faster than Sin itself. The first fell short of its mark, but the second hit home, and despite the distance Luna could it piercing through the armor.

At once the line went taut, and the boat spurted forward crazily. Everyone grabbed onto the nearest support they could, slamming against the walls at the boat was whipped in either direction. Sin didn't submerge and drown the boat, as Wakka suspected, but instead swerved back and forth, in a vain attempt to dislodge the harpoon.

Luna shook the water from her eyes and pointed to the next barrage of trouble. Sin Spawn released themselves from their host and spiraled to the deck. Luna drew her blades at once and began slashing at them, hearing Kimahri and Tidus following her lead. Yuna helplessly made her way to the back, knowing that she was unable to help them.

"Go for the fin!" someone shouted in the back. "Aim for the fin!"

"Wakka, Lulu, you're up!" Luna roared, downing another spawn. Lulu needed no further instruction, but Wakka prolonged himself.

"What if I can't make it?" he called hoarsely. At once Lulu was by his side, calling him an idiot, yet somehow making him confident. Wakka took aim and threw his ball with all his might. Lulu was already casting her spells.

After finishing off several more of the fiends, Luna realized the point in aiming for the fin. No matter how many of these vile things she vanquished, more kept flying her way from Sin. She, Kimahri, and Tidus drew tighter together, focusing their attacks on keeping the creatures at bay rather than killing them, in hopes to control their numbers.

Kimahri caught Luna's arm and pointed with his spear. The spawn began to target themselves to the upper roof, with no one in their way to stop them from wrecking chaos. Luna reached for the wall to support her as she went to fight them, but she never got far. A large dragon dropped from the sky and began picking off the sin Spawn one by one. Yuna stole Luna's trail and ran up the stairs, guiding Valefor in her first real struggle.

"Everyone, hold on!" Yuna shouted from above. Luna saw Valefor fly overhead, and swore under her breath at Yuna's foolishness. Yuna ran back down the deck as Tidus finished off the last of the Spawn. Valefor swiped at the fin a couple times, diving and baking widely to avoid the creatures.

Sin jerked one last time, and broke free of the harpoon piercing its body. It submerged immediately, and was soon far out of Luna's senses. She could hear a decrease in the screaming as he left. What he did leave was one last wave that swept across the flat of the ship. Kimahri grabbed Yuna again, anchoring her down safely. As the water cleared from her eyes, Luna saw, miraculously, how many people managed to stay aboard. Yuna, Kimahri, Lulu, Wakka, Luzzu, Gatta, Ti…

"No…" she heard Yuna whisper faintly. Luna didn't believe her eyes at first; she shook her head to clear it of water before searching again. He still wasn't there. Yuna seemed to shrink into Kimahri's hold, worry and sadness very clear. Luna walked over to the edge, feeling numbness in her fingers. So suddenly… he was gone.

She heard the footsteps behind her, but couldn't turn fast enough to stop him. Wakka dove past her, straight into the ocean. Yuna protested too late, but Luna kept silent. She didn't know what else was under the water, but she knew that Wakka could swim long, far, and deep. _This is Wakka's terrain, not mine. He'll get him back._

Luna stepped back reverently and waited with her hands clasped together in front of her. Kimahri let go of Yuna to search the remainder of the ship. Lulu went to Yuna instead, the two comforting each other in silence. Luna took deep breaths, realizing that they failed. Sin was probably at Kilika by now. That meant…

Luna heard the water splash, and the boys started calling for help. Lulu and Yuna rushed to their side immediately, where Wakka and Tidus treaded water. With the help of several other men on board, the guardian and Tidus were dragged back onto the boat. Wakka breathed heavily, having been under water for so long, but Tidus's head had a nasty looking cut that was bleeding. Yuna knelt down next to him instantly to heal.

While she attended to that, Luna looked to the horizon. She could feel Sin drawing closer, approaching the unsuspecting, innocent village. Sin always approached silently, using the ocean to mask its cries. No one would be expecting an attack, everyone would be completely unprepared. The sunset would be full of mournful cries, some of which were so vivid in imagination, Luna could already hear them. Towns could be torn to shreds by Sin's inhuman power, like a whirlwind or tornado. Kilika, with its straw huts and plank walkways, wouldn't stand a chance.

The horizon was already turning red with the setting sun. No one dared speak, fearing the silence but unable to activate their voices. Luna felt her heavy legs moving her up to the very tip of the boat. She stood there until the boat came in sight of Kilika, a figure of sorrow and strength.

* * *

When the boat did reach Kilika, it found it in ruins. Over half the village was torn to pieces, and those still intact suffered injury, broken roads, and worst of all, death. The villagers had already begun collecting the dead and seeing to the wounded, fearing what would happen if they didn't move fast enough. Luna leapt onto the dock from the boats starboard, double checking the stability of the structure. After all this, she wasn't falling through a loose plank. The dock seemed sturdy, and soon everyone departed.

Yuna immediately approached the nearest person, introducing herself as a lady summoner. "If there is no other summoner present," she said, making the sign of the prayer, "would you allow me to perform the sending?"

"Oh, yes please!" the villagers begged, letting their emotions grip them tightly. Many of them were crying, or showed signs of recent tears. Luna looked away, observing the crowd by the waterfront. "We were so afraid that no one would be able to do it… we were so scared!"

"Take me to them." They nodded and ushered her on, filling the air with their pleas and worries. Kimahri and Lulu followed her immediately, while Wakka organized his team to help with the recovery. Luna thanked the captain of the ship before catching up to Kimahri and Lulu. Together, the three of them made their presence known as Yuna's guardian's; loyal followers who would do anything to protect her.

Tidus found his way, and took a spot next to Lulu. Luna half-listened to them, giving most of her attention to Yuna. While more pale than usual, Yuna appeared quite steady and ready to complete her task. She nodded once more to the villagers, then began.

Yuna walked barefoot into the ocean, the magic in the air allowing her to stay afloat. Every step matched Luna's heartbeat, until Yuna reached the underwater graveyard. She only paused a moment before she held her head high and began to dance.

The kind-hearted girl Lulu and Wakka always favored was gone. In her place stood a resolute mage with unimaginable power, privy to unearthly knowledge. While Yuna let her intuition guide the dead, the villagers broke into a ballad of mournful cries. Slowly, creeping up from the flowery graves, came the pyreflies. They began to circle all around Yuna, drawn by the ancient dance.

Their sound whistled sharply in Luna's ears, but she never flinched. Kimahri never so much as glanced at the torch next to him, even when it burst into blue flames. Townsfolk who fell to their knees now gazed up at Yuna on her pillar of water, shaped by the pyreflies. The sunset became redder as it sunk below the horizon, reflecting in the water like blood. Luna's mouth drew tight while she forced herself to look on, telling herself, _This is what we must face. This is why guardian's and their summoners exist. We're the only ones who can fight a battle that isn't against a fiend._

Though the pyreflies were departing, beginning their long voyage for the Farplane, Luna could still hear their wailing inside her ears. It was different this time, more sad, more… human. Luna bowed her head in respect and touched her forehead before saluting the fallen. Having done that, she went to take care of her young friend.

"You did fine." Lulu was already by Yuna's side, half-embracing her, shielding Yuna from the stares of the villagers. "Just… try not to cry next time, alright?"

Yuna nodded and straightened herself, squaring her shoulders as if to carry to weight of sorrow on her back. Like her guardian's, Yuna now stood as a pillar amongst the broken souls. Luna nodded in approval, but caught her arm before the villagers dragged her off again. "You did well," Luna told her, as honestly as she could. "I'm proud." Yuna allowed herself a small, tight smile of gratitude before she continued on.

Luna glanced over her shoulder, and saw Tidus staring in her direction. She paused, letting him walk up to her. He scratched his head, and then gestured to the water, apparently at a loss for words. Luna nodded, knowing how shocking it was to see that.

"Will… will Yuna always have to do that?" he asked, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Every time someone dies?" Luna nodded again, though many people accepted death before they died. "I… I wish that didn't have to happen, you know? It looked so… sad." Luna agreed, on the inside.

"It is what it is," she told him, keeping the emotion out of her voice. She was only interested in knowing if he knew Jecht, but this wasn't the time or place to ask.

"It was horrifying!" he told her hurridly, as if begging her to agree. "Everyone just stood there, watching her! Doesn't anyone else know how to do it?"

"So they could feel the same pain Yuna did?" she responded, challenging his emotional strength. _I would love to spare Yuna that pain. But pain or not, she _wants_ to help. If we stopped her, it would only make it worse. At least now she feels useful._ "It's what's expected of her," she said evenly. "She has her duty, and we have ours. You…" _He'll what? Understand in time? I _still_ don't like what has to be done, and I've lived with that truth for fourteen years. _"…get used to it," she finished, acknowledging that it became a part of life, no matter how horrifying or taxing it was.

She still hated it.

Tidus said nothing, though he looked offended and upset. Luna gave him one last nod before checking with Kimahri. After a single look, he walked after Yuna. Tidus quickly found Wakka again, leaving Luna free to help the villagers. She worked late into the night, caring for the wounded, running errands for the healthy, and doing quick maintenance work to stabilize the rest of the village. Luna threw herself into the labor, frantically helping anyone she could find. She only said four words the remainder of the night, "What can I do?" Luna saw herself walking by the others countless times; Yuna healing the wounded, Wakka blocking off unsafe roads, Lulu comforting the children and teenagers. Luna spared no time to talk to them. She put on her mask and went where she could.

It was only when Kimahri dragged her to the inn and shoved her in the room she shared with Lulu and Yuna that Luna admitted to rest. Then she slept without seeing her dreams, but heard endlessly the siren of the pyreflies and the Hymn of the Fayth.

* * *

**A/N- I'm going to try to make it to the next boat ride next chapter. Mind you, I'm making half of Luna's actions up as I go along. This is where I should start adding more and start foreshadowing. *Gasp***


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV- Fire in the Stones

The instant Luna opened her eyes, the memories from the previous day rushed back to her. Inside her head she locked them away, refusing to let the grief crush her. She glanced at herself in the mirror before she left the room. As always, her blue eyes held suspicion in them, mistrusting everything and ready to battle. This guarded expression often drove others from her path, but Luna didn't notice until Yuna pointed it out. _Back in the day, when me looking preoccupied was a bad thing,_ Luna thought darkly as she left the inn. Lulu and Yuna were already up, as was Wakka and his team. No doubt the Crusader's were long gone, having duties to attend to. Luna thanked what luck there was that she landed as a guardian, with only her summoner to answer to.

Breakfast was cold for her, but she ate without complaint. All around her were ashen faces, and watery smiles for those that followed Yuna's lead and tried to be strong. Luna kept to her own silent world, watching the actions of others. Those who showed her respect only did so because of Yuna, she was sure. _Still,_ Luna thought as she thanked the innkeeper, and walked out to the docks. _I guess I did do a lot of work last night. My hands are still red._ Luna spotted the looming Kimahri and made her way to stand next to him, soon seeing why. Yuna played a couple yards away with some children, who, against all odds, were laughing. They kicked a blitzball around, tossed it, and rolled it to each other. Yuna joined them for as long as she could to their delight, earning the thanks of many parents or siblings as they watched.

"When do we go to the temple?" Luna asked Kimahri, her voice low enough so Yuna wouldn't hear her.

"Kimahri does not know. Lulu left to deal with other matters. Wakka is with his team. New boy still asleep. We wait." Luna sighed and combed through her hair with her fingers, bumping her ring against her pinkie. She placed her other hand on her hip, searching for ways to make herself useful. Unfortunately, Yuna found one for her.

"Luna, you should come here!" she called from her kneeling position. "We're having a lot of fun!" The children, though, stopped laughing and looked positively frightened at the prospect of this blue haired, blade carrying warrior. Luna looked at her summoner, silently asking if she was joking. "Come on! I need to get ready anyways."

Smoldering her sense of injustice, Luna walked forward stiffly and lowered herself to meet the children's height, while Yuna stood up and told the kids, "Play fair!" before leaving with Kimahri. The Ronso gave Luna a look that almost resembled pity.

Luna gave the kids a foreign look, which they returned right back. No one said anything for a while, or moved. Finally, one of the older boys have her a hesitant but inviting smile, and offered her the ball. Luna, relieved, took the ball and gently tossed it to one of the younger ones. They all scattered, but the older ones took up the game instead, and slowly the little ones came back. While giving Luna a look that clearly showed their fear, the smaller children passed to the older ones, who included Luna.

Nevertheless, Luna was quite pleased when Yuna came back, this time with Lulu and Kimahri in tow. She gave Luna a sure-fire excuse to leave the kids, who seemed somewhat sorry to see her leave. Yuna gave her guardian an apologetic, but humored smile, making Luna think the frustration she felt wasn't as well hidden as she believed.

"Wakka said he would meet us at the forest entrance," she told Luna and Lulu. "He's waiting for the rest of his team to wake up. We can head over now."

Luna nodded and took a look behind her. This was the calm after the storm, where the village would make the most of its recovery. Yuna was looking as well, her face almost guilty. Lulu saw that as well, because she said, "There's nothing else we can do Yuna. You've done enough. Now we need to go to the temple."

"I know," she said, and without another word left. Luna lingered another moment, thinking, _That's a lie. There's so much more we could be doing right now. But Lulu can't say that… we all have our lines to speak._ She jogged to catch up with the others, and time walking to the forest to inspect her hands. They were red, calloused, and her left ring finger was slightly swollen, as she worked all night with her ring on. Luna twisted it off and inspected it, frowning when she saw a symbol faintly traced under the garnet. Had that always been there? Luna couldn't say, but slipped the ring back on her finger.

Mercifully, the forest was spared from Sin's assault. The path was clear, though Luna felt trouble up ahead. As they waited patiently for Wakka and Tidus, Luna began to stretch and warm up for the upcoming battles, thinking back to her conversation with the blonde boy last night. Wakka had told her that he joined their blitzball team, since he had some decent moves. _Maybe it will be good enough to win,_ Luna thought to herself. _Our record has been… pretty sad. Maybe Yuna brought them bad luck when she came._

"Luna, could you come here for a minute?" Luna blinked, but complied, sheathing her blades for the time being. Lulu shot her an almost exasperated look. "Yuna has something she wishes to discuss with all of us. Something important."

Yuna stepped forward, summoning her courage. "I… I want Tidus to become one of my guardians," she told them. "I've been thinking about it since I saw him fighting with us on Besaid, and…" She trailed off as some of the blitzers ran by, set on the temple. She picked up quickly, "and I thought it would be a good idea." Fearing their rebuke, Yuna looked down and wrung her hands.

Luna wasn't very surprised; though they were all traveling together, Tidus's debt was owed to the blitzball team, not Yuna. Once the tournament was over, he was over. But if he chose to be her guardian… _She's also still curious about Zanarkand, probably, _Luna realized. _He's like a link to Jecht and Braska. I don't blame her. But a guardian…_

"Hey, what's up?" she heard Wakka ask. Luna heard them approach from behind. She studied the faces of the party, waiting for their reactions. Kimahri was impossible to read, but the rest couldn't hide what they were feeling so easily.

"Yuna has something she would like to ask you," Lulu informed Tidus tartly.

Put on the spot, Yuna took a deep breath and said, "I… I would like to ask you to be my guardian." Their reactions were predictable; Tidus was merely taken aback, but Wakka looked positively indignant and the request.

"Yuna, this is no time for jokes, ya," he said, placing himself in front of her. "He's great blitzball, you know, but he's only been fighting fiends for a few days."

"Well then… not as my guardian," she amended with soft persistence. "But… I just want him nearby." Wakka actually started stuttering in disbelief.

"It's a long ways to Luca," Lulu reminded them all, a warning tone in her voice. Luna hazarded a guess it was for Wakka. "Why don't we talk about this later, hmm?"

"Right. I'm sorry," Yuna apologized to Tidus. "I shouldn't have-"

"There's no need to be sorry," he assured her, looking as worried as she did. "I… just don't know what's exactly going on." Yuna apologized again, more professionally, looking at each of her guardians. Luna nodded her consent, and took up the lead this time, guiding them down the cobbled path, overgrown with moss and dirt. As expected, they bumped into a handful of fiends along the way, which were easily taken care of. Luna couldn't say for sure (the last she had visited Kilika was two years ago), but the fiends seemed significantly weaker, and fewer in number than before. _Have I just grown that much stronger, or was it what Yuna did last night that made this difference?_

"Stop right there!" The party halted as Luzzu blocked their path, gesturing behind him. "We have an extremely nasty fiend up ahead, one that even we're having trouble with. You should find another way around, or else you'll get hurt."

"Well, what do you think?" Wakka asked as Luzzu strode away. "Should we find another way around?" Lulu said yes, however, Luna and Kimahri kept quiet. Yuna looked to Wakka and Tidus for a solution. Fiend or no, Kimahri would stay by Yuna. _It might be best to go around it, for time and effort, but... I'm itching to kill the monster._

When Luzzu saw them round the corner, he sighed and said impatiently, "I told you to go around!" Kimahri barged his way through, brandishing his spear to Gatta, who had half a mind to stop him. Lulu and Yuna followed, Yuna apologizing as she passed.

"Let us by Luzzu," Luna commanded softly, pushing by him. He gave her a hard stare, but eventually had to relent. Luna entered the battle with Wakka and Tidus at her side. She heard Luzzu giving out orders behind them, for backup and recovery if needed.

Luna held back a smirk as she readied her weapons. This giant creature, an Ochu if Luna remembered correctly, was enough of a challenge to make her excited. Lulu's magic in particular had a strong affect on the beast, as did Wakka's special attacks. Tidus, Kimahri, and herself took up the frontal assault, slashing where they could and occasionally taking hits for the other females of the party.

Tidus gave the fiend the finish blow, while Luna watched with satisfaction as the fiend broke away into pyrflies. The battle was not without its rewards; the Crusader's gave them several vials of medicine for thanks, and Wakka was able to take an Ochu fang to attach to his weapon. They had to wait half an hour before continuing though; Kimahri and Luna had both fell sick to the Ochu's poisonous breath. It took half an hour because while they were only sick for twenty minutes after resting, it took ten minutes to convince Luna that she wasn't in good enough health to protect Yuna and continue onwards.

* * *

They made it out of the forest in due time, to be faced with several flights of stairs. The blitzball players waited for them, explaining their detours through the brush.

"Alright guys, listen up!" Wakka called, waving in arms in gathering his team. "High Summoner Ohhaland used to train on these stairs everyday!" The team chuckled, knowing what was coming. Lulu motioned Luna up ahead, where she joined their ranks, handing her swords to Kimahri. Tidus quickly figured out their meaning.

"A race, huh? Think you can beat me?" Most were smirking by now as they all lined up. At Wakka's request, Yuna got in front of them, ready to give the countdown.

"Ready! Set!" she yelled, before turning and running up the stairs as fast as she could. Tidus was left in the dust as everyone else took off, well expecting this from Yuna. Luna bounded up the stairs, allowing her body's momentum to carry her greater distance. Slowly, Jassu, Keepa, and Letty all began falling behind her. She savored the feeling until she made it to the first flat stretch and saw—

"Sinspawn!" she shouted, throwing her arms out to stop the blitzers. "Get out of the way!" Her hands automatically snatched at empty hair, and with a groan she remembered handing her blades to Kimahri. She glared at the fiend helplessly, and then heard something crunch behind her. Whirling, she found two sets of tentacles worming out of the ground. Luna regretted for the fifth time that she didn't know magic.

The rest of the guardian's caught up, at the ready. Kimahri shoved the pummels of her blades into Luna's hands, growling, "You were stupid," to her, motioning to Yuna.

"Tell me about it," Luna growled back, spinning her blades into their proper placement. "Talk me out of it next time, why don't you?"

"Luna, you take on the right ones," Wakka ordered. "Kimahri, you and me got the left!" Luna nodded and with Tidus, rushed to cut off the tentacles. She heard the distinct sound that Valefor cried when she was summoned. Grateful that there was something to protect Yuna now, Luna turned her full attention to the writhing limbs. She and Tidus trade off hits to the base of the tentacles after several disastrous attempts without communicating. Tidus was lucky to escape with only a slice. Luna had a black eye.

* * *

Once the fiend was defeated, everyone took a breather, attending to their injuries and making sure no more fiends snuck past their attention. Luna hacked as quietly as she could while listening to Wakka and Lulu explain to Tidus what a Sin Spawn was. Having inhaled more poison from the fiend, Luna once again pondered the virtues of only using one arm to fight. One of them was the virtue of being able to cover ones mouth.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tidus asked, noticing Luna's restricted breathing. She nodded before coughing more. "You really don't look so great. Uh, no offense," he added when she gave him a flat look. "Did you get poisoned again?" Yuna asked intently.

_I've got to do better than this. Some guardian I'll be if I'm poisoned every few battles, _Luna reprimanded herself. Straightening, she shook her head, and took out some of the medicine Luzzu had given them. She downed the proper amount, hardly wincing as it stung her throat. Satisfied, Yuna and Lulu lead the crowd up ahead.

"Hey, do they have any fiends in Zanarkand?" Wakka suddenly asked, glancing back at Tidus. Expecting a long story, everyone paused to listen.

"Yeah, we have some," responded Tidus, rather casually. "It's always a big deal when one shows up though; they cause a lot of ruckus. Hey, wait a minute, since when did you start believing me about Zanarkand?" Luna wondered the same thing, wishing she knew more about what he had told the others. _Maybe it's time we talked._

"I've been doing some thinking, ya? About what you said, and how you got here. Maybe, maybe Sin really can move people through time, you know? Maybe they just vanish one day, after coming close, and then after some time passes—"

"You are unbelievable!" Lulu snapped, rounding on Wakka. "Stop making excuses! We've been listening to them for years now, but you just can't accept the simple truth. Chappu is dead, Wakka, his body washed up on the Djose shore. He's _not_ coming back! And one more thing," she added, her red eyes smoldering in fury. "No one can replace Chappu either. Nor Sir Jecht, or Lord Braska for that matter." Wakka and Yuna hung their heads in shame, but Luna returned Lulu's glare with one of her own. Blue eyes met red, and in that instant Lulu found herself faced with a rage so icy and abysmal, she dropped her eyes away before she could think. Luna held her glower until Lulu passed from her sight. Yuna caught sight of the emotion in Luna's eyes and chased after Lulu, Kimahri close behind. Wakka only sighed before following with his head down.

Luna caught Tidus staring at her. Later that day, she overheard him telling Wakka how scary she looked at that moment. _"Lulu's outburst was unexpected, but if looks could kill, Luna would need sunglasses," he told Wakka. _Wakka responded by saying how Luna had zero tolerance for anyone who spoke poorly of Braska, Lulu included.

Luna heard that later. At the time, she bore into Tidus with her cerulean stare, until he grew uncomfortable and said, "It's not my business what happened between the three of them," before running up the stairs. Luna knew he meant Lulu, Chappu, and Wakka. She knew what had happened; before getting on the boat, she heard what Luzzu said. _In a world with Sin, it's difficult to grow that strong a bond with someone,_ she thought to herself, focusing on the stone steps. _It's painful. Some might not think it's worth it. Lulu needs to realize that Wakka isn't running away. He's trying to give her hope._ Luna glanced at the arches overhead, having entered the temple grounds.

Kilika… Luna pursed her lips, thinking. She had seen several Aeon's other than Valefor, and was curious to know which one came from this temple. With disinterest she watched the competing blitzball team speak with Wakka. Speak was a loose term in Luna's mind, as the two teams looked ready to come to blows. They weren't giving Yuna a second glance, though, so Luna ignored them and went back to studying the temple. _I know there's a hint around here somewhere. I just need to…_ her eyes fell to the feet of the arguing blitzers, and then she knew. A fiery demon sprung to life before he eyes.

"I hate people who put others down like that," Tidus murmured to Yuna, glaring as the Luca Goer's strutted by. "They're no better than my old man."

"But Sir Jecht was a kind and gentle man!" Yuna explained. Luna's breath caught, completely sure that she had misunderstood the two statements. But Tidus's next words rendered that impossible. _His _Jecht? _This scrawny kid is Jecht's _son_?_ _That's…_

No, Luna realized, it wasn't impossible. Now more than ever Luna thought of Braska and Jecht, and everything she had overheard about Zanarkand. _It's been so long since I've considered it… disgraceful._ Luna tucked the thoughts in the back of her head for another time, putting her duty as a guardian first.

The temple was quite and relatively vacant as most of the villagers were back in their village. Luna bowed her head in respect at the statues and priests before taking a sturdy stance next to Yuna, who prayed next to Wakka and Tidus. Kimahri caught Luna's gaze and jerked his head towards the Cloister door. Luna immediately spotted the trouble.

Luna knew that there were dozens of summoners, each going to the designated temples to pray. So it came as no surprise to see one striding out now. Luna silently took in the woman's appearance and demeanor, recognizing the differences between her and Yuna. Once the woman began speaking, Luna found herself taking a disliking to her.

"Ah, another summoner I see," drawled the lady. Yuna stepped forward to greet her. "I am Dona. And this—" she motioned to the man behind her "—Is Barthello."

"I am Yuna, from the isle of Besaid," greeted Yuna politely, but she seemed wary.

"Ah, Lord Braska's daughter. That's… quite the name to live up to." _That's it. If she starts comparing Yuna to Lord Braska, she's in trouble._ "And, don't tell me, are these _all_ your guardians." Dona shook her head with haughty mirth. "What an idea! Your father only had two as I recall. I chose quality over quantity my dear; Barthello is all the protection I need." _We'll see about that when I'm finished with you._

"Yuna, let's go," Luna said aloud, shifting so Dona's view was slightly obscured by her. "Unless she wants to train her new Aeon with you, I don't see a reason to stay."

"Please Lady Dona, just leave us in peace," Yuna requested, before turning her back. Dona huffed loudly before heading on her own way with Barthello close behind.

Luna held the stone door for everyone while they piled inside. Yuna whispered a "thank you" while passing her, to which Luna relaxed. Once they were all inside, they stepped over the lift that would take them down to the trials. Tidus was made to wait.

* * *

Luna crossed her arms, waiting for Wakka to admit defeat. Upon entering the cloister's, he promised them to get them to the Chamber of the Fayth in ten minutes tops. Seven had gone by, and they were only halfway through at most, and time was ticking.

"I just know it has to be… this one?" he half asked, trying to fit the sphere into the slot. It fit, but nothing happened. "Ah, I give up, ya? This temple is too different."

"I guess we'll just have to keep trying," Yuna replied, not as hopefully as she would have liked. "Maybe if we…" she fell silent, studying the mechanism.

Luna sighed and closed her eyes, wishing she knew the answers. _Back in Besaid, I could have guided someone through the trials with a blindfold. But… the same basic principles apply. I should be able to figure this out, if there's a pattern here._

Luna gave the spheres a closer look before removing them from their sockets. She hardly heard the other guardian's murmurs as she rearranged the spheres until they were set up in a way that looked correct. Backtracking, Luna placed another fiery sphere on the forgotten pedestal and began pushing it forward, quickly aided by Kimahri. Together, with Luna guiding, they managed to shove the pedestal onto a small lift, that lowered to the ground and extinguished the roaring wall of flames. Sweating under her heavy cloak, Luna loped down the stone steps and found another sphere. It came out of the wall easily, and understanding, Luna calmly but swiftly ascended the staircase, squeezing by Wakka who had thought to follow. She lodged the sphere in the hole and watched as it gave way to a hidden panel in the wall. Receiving the treasure, Luna guided them to the final doorway and expertly kicked the flaming gate away, ignoring the sphere in the doorway.

"There," Luna said, sweating triumphantly. "It's all clear now. What?" she demanded when no one budged. She noticed their odd looks and sighed, suspicious.

"Luna… how did you do that?" Lulu's tone of voice matched her gaze; puzzled. "Have you… been here before?"

"It was forbidden up until this point. I knew there had to be similarities between this cloister and the Besaid one. Magic doesn't work in so many ways." Luna bit her lip and studied the flaming door. "Does it matter? We can go in now. We don't want to miss the boat." Yuna nodded and humbly made her way up to the door, which Luna strained to keep open. Kimahri passed through first, while the others went on after. Luna was the last one in, relieving her muscles of the taxing door.

Once inside the outer chamber, Luna relaxed considerably. The Hymn of the Fayth was quite audible, and everyone took up a mutual silence. Once Yuna was inside the chamber, the stone doors slid shut, and then they waited patiently.

It couldn't have been too long, perhaps only three or so minutes, until the entrance opened up again, and stumbling in came Tidus. Luna eyed him with agitation; she didn't care so much that he had broken in here, but with him brought all sorts of explanations and scoldings that she didn't want to hear. Closing her eyes, she focused harder on the Hymn and tried to ignore Wakka's repetitive reprimands.

Tidus scanned the room, anxiously waiting for Lulu or, worse in his opinion, Luna to come over and start lecturing him too. Lulu seemed content to glare at him from under her black bangs, and Tidus was perfectly content with that. He didn't like how she treated him like he was stupid. Luna on the other hand… Luna was the more frightening one in his opinion, if only because she didn't give indication to her emotions.

Tidus snuck a glance at the blue haired warrior. She sat with her knees bent, resting her arms on the inside of her knees. With her eyes and closed and head back to lean against the wall, Tidus thought it unlikely for her to move until needed.

Luna couldn't tell if she was dreaming or not. The sounds of her teammates seemed far away, and she felt her arms and legs become heavy. Maybe she was tired, or the medicine for the poison was making her drowsy. Regardless, Wakka and Tidus's voice fell to whispering in her ears. Luna closed her heavy eyes.

_…back then, you never used to keep such company._

Luna's brow furrowed, but she didn't open her eyes. _…who are you?_

_ You don't even remember. But that's okay, none of us expected you to. _

_ What are you talking about? This is one hell of a dream._

_ Dream… it is a dream, isn't it? There's a reason Sin didn't bring down the boat. I could hear him, even from all the way in here. Especially from in here._

Feeling insane for doing so, Luna took the bait. _From in here? I suppose I _am_ crazy if I'm hearing voices._

_ Ask the man in red. It won't be long now. I was asked to pass on this message._

Luna tried to open her eyes, to wake up from this venom-induced sleep, but her eyelids wouldn't budge. She quieted her breathing, straining to hear Tidus or Wakka, but all was silent. Just as she was about to move her hands, the voice whispered, _Ask the man in red. And if you pass us off as a dream once more…_

Luna never learned what would happen. Her eyes flew open and she stood up for sheer desire to move. Just as she did, the temple door opened, and out came Yuna, pale but nodding victoriously. No one seemed to have noticed that Luna dozed off, and she was determined to keep it that way. As they walked out of the fiery prism, Luna couldn't help but ponder upon that voice, which sounded as real as any other human. Out of habit, she began fiddling with her ring, and paused when she saw another symbol engraved onto the metal. Positive that it hadn't been there before, Luna put the ring back on and vowed never to take it off her finger. _Stop it. Who cares about any of this? I'm not a detective, I'm a guardian. Maybe once my job is over I can think about these things. _However, Luna could help but brood over it, since the way out of the temple was much simpler.

* * *

They spent the night on the S.S. Winno, where Luna could hardly find a place to rest. Below the deck meant being surrounded by tight walls and sweaty blitzers, which was in no way her idea of appealing sleeping conditions. Luna would have liked to taken her book and go up to the top deck, except Lulu and Wakka occupied it with themselves and their intense arguments, which Luna knew by heart.

Those two, Yuna, and Tidus seemed to be the only ones awake, apart for herself and the captain. Kimahri was nowhere to be found despite Luna's thorough searching, so she contented herself to sit by the back of the boat and attempt to read from the shadows.

After reading a particularly long poem, she saw Tidus carefully go up the steps, to where Lulu and Wakka were. He stopped, and then sat down before they could see him. Luna paused for a moment, and then wlaked over to him, grabbing his shoulder and jerking her head to the lower deck. He nodded, and they walked out onto the deck together. The night air was comfortably chilly, and it was a while before they spoke.

"So, do they always fight like that?" Tidus asked. Luna shrugged and nodded. "I guess it's their way of sharing they care, right?" Luna only shrugged again. "Well, tomorrow's the tournament. Do you play at all, or are you just going to watch?"

"I train with the team. Endurance, strength, speed, but I don't play." Luna brushed some stray hairs out of her face. "Is Jecht really your father? From Zanarkand?"

Her question surprised him, and he gave her an incredulous look before saying, "Yeah, Jecht's my old man. Did Yuna tell you or something?"

"I knew him as well. I met him when he came to Besaid with Lord Braska." _Circles within circles. I bet he's just as confused as I am. Yuna idolizes Jecht. He obviously doesn't. I bet he's thinking there are two Jecht's wandering around._ "He swore a lot, drank a lot, fought with a sword, and had that same symbol you have—" she motioned to his pants "—on you. You also have the same jaw."

"He… I hated him." Luna gave him a sidelong look. "How did he manage to get here though?" _You're here, right?_ Luna asked him inside her head. But she didn't say anything. "C'mon, just give me an answer already! You know something, don't you?"

Luna turned around, determined to sleep under the starts since Lulu and Wakka seemed to have stopped fighting. She said over her shoulder, "I probably know as much as Yuna. Braska was her father, not mine. Jecht was your dad, not mine. I'm just someone who happened to be in the temple when they arrived."

Feeling a heavy weight inside her chest, Luna strode up the steps and onto the upper deck, where she lay down off to the side and let the stars and waves lull her to sleep. _The man in red… that term sounds familiar… must be from my book.

* * *

_

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't written more in a while; I've been traveling all over and I've been finding slightly more productive things to be doing with my time, like biking and reading, rather than, you know… spending countless hours on the internet and writing a story that will amount to hardly any good in the long run. But nevermind that, I'm back writing, and while this chapter was hard to write, hopefully the next few can be better. Yeah… feedback is good. Remember readers, get out and enjoy the summer, because school's about to start and we all know what that means; papers and homework. Yaaaaay**


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